My partner and I are going to be 3 days in Paris, 9 days in the Loire, and then 3 more days in Paris, starting later this week.

In Paris, we're going to be in the Fifth, near the Saint-Michel Metro. A friend recommended Cafe Benoit, but that is very nearly a 'destination restaurant' and has the pricing to prove it.

In the Loire, we are going to plunk ourselves down on the property of Ch. Chambord and then drive out and back each day to wherever we like. For reasons too obscure to go into, we are going to limit our peregrinations strictly to the east of Azay-le-Rideau. I have a recommendation to drive to Sancerre, pick a table on the sidewalk anywhere, and have chevre sur salade. This sounds lovely but it is a little vague as a plan....

Thanks for any guidance or recommendations.

Jeff

PS. Of course, I have read about Lavinia in Paris... any other wine shops I should visit?

I'm afraid I have no specific restaurant recommendations, but when we went to Sancerre several years ago, we first drove to Chavignol, where there are several wineries one can visit, bought several crottins de Chavignol, a baguette, some apples and a bottle of Sancerre. Then we drove to Sancerre itself where we found a nice park overlooking the Loire and had ourselves a great pique-nique. Of course, you don't have to stop in Chavignol to buy the same ingredients. Anyway, if you haven't been there, Sancerre is a gorgeous hilltop town, well worth visiting, though probably a 90-minute or so drive from where you're staying.

Chambord is awesome, the gold standard in wretched excess. And Blois is a great city. In addition to the chateau, you should try to see the Musee de l'Objet, which is off the beaten track but a lot of fun and well worth the 10-15 minute or so walk to get there. It's got a really intriguing collection of contemporary art and when we went there, it was like we had the whole museum to ourselves. There's also a museum of magic which you may or may not enjoy. I liked it and our kids loved it. The weird thing was that they had a magic performance and the guy who was there was from L.A., couldn't speak French and didn't even make an effort to, which was bizarre for us because I think we were the only English speakers in the crowd.

As I'm sure you know, you'll also be very close to Cheverny and basically within the Touraine appellation. I don't know how easy it is to visit wineries but I imagine your friend Joe could set you up to visit Clos de Tue-Boeuf, Clos Roche Blanche, etc...

you should have a great time! visited loire and some chateaux in march and like chenonceaux particularly. about 10km away is a restaurant/inn named cheval blanc - can't remember the town - towards vouvray. that restaurant is a one star but the prices are reasonable. my friend got a 'menu' for 24e! at dinner! if you do go to sancerre, do stop at chavignol and you will see why the wines from that village are among the best of sancerres various locations - the vines are in an ampetheatre. i like the village of vouvray and nearby rochecorbon - very picturesque.

i'll get back to you later with stuff from paris - when i look some things up at home.

hi again - the restaurant in the 5th that i would go back to just for the lyonaise potatoes if nothing else is Moissonnier at 28 r fosses-st-bernard. it is rustic lyonaise cooking and you can easily share the large dishes if you wish. it is the only resterant i have ever been in in paris with only parisians other than ourselves. in the 6th we enjoy aux charpentieres - i believe on r clement just off the blvd st. germain. some people will try too talk you into epi dupin; but i'm not convinced by this place. have a great time.